Summary
There are a ton of side relationships seen throughout the MCU films that have their own sort of unique meaning and purpose. There are the funny ones like Thor and Star-Lord or Drax and Mantis, and there’s the more serious ones like Hawkeye and Black Widow or Captain America and Bucky Barnes.
There are a few that hit both points of silly and sincere, to the point where their chemistry works magic on the screen, even if it isn’t for long periods of time. A prominent example of one of these relationships is the one seen betweenSpider-ManandDoctor Strange. They don’t have a plethora of exchanges throughout the MCU films, but the relationship betweenSpider-ManandDoctor Strangeis so very alive inSpider-Man: No Way Home. Part of what makes the duo work so well is they are two totally different characters on the outside. But inside, they have so much more in common than either of them would have ever guessed.
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Doctor Strange and Spider-Man Have a Good Rapport
Although it’s not entirely obvious, Strange and Spider-Man do share a bond that stems from where they originated. For starters, they’re both New Yorkers, and no one understands New Yorkers better than their own people. Right away, there’s a sense of security and familiarity just from the fact of their shared geographical situations.
To build on that, both Peter Parker and Strange’s banter is very direct and witty, with a touch of sarcasm, as New Yorkers tend to be. It’s an iconic trait forSpider-Man to have witty comments for his enemies, especially while in the middle of a fight with them. With Strange, though, he uses his arrogance and intelligence to speak sarcastically, often correcting someone who’s misspoken or made a mistake. And there’s no Avenger more prone to silly mistakes than the young and curious Spider-Man.
InSpider-Man: No Way Home, their individual comments are so similar to each, but their relationship is more along the lines of teacher and student. The recurring talking point throughout the movie is Peter calling Strange “Sir” and Strange correcting him to call him “Stephen”, and vice versa. It starts with Peter calling him “Sir”, which Strange corrects because he recognizes they have fought alongside each other as equals. But once Peter messes with the spell and acts very immature given the situation, Stephen, frustrated, requests he calls him “Sir” again. But the film comes full circle when Peter makes the ultimate sacrifice in erasing his identity, and Strange sees the maturity and growth shine through, prompting him to let Peter call him “Stephen”. What started as a silly gag in the beginning,ends with such a deeper meaningand speaks to their relationship as a whole.
Doctor Strange and Spider-Man Have More Interesting Conflicts
Unlike a lot of superhero storylines, many of the MCU characters' identities are a matter of public knowledge. Spider-Man is the exception, however. But the interesting aspect of Spider-Man’s conflict inNo Way Homeis that not only doesthe world discover what his secret identity is, but he is also being framed for the murder of the false hero Mysterio. So, while Peter wants to fix the situation for his own sake of keeping his identity a secret, his friends MJ and Ned’s lives are being heavily affected merely because of their association with Peter.
Soon after Peter explains his situation to Strange, with no knowledge of whether Strange could even help him or not, he sees that Peter’s intentions are more selfless than selfish. So, Strange decides to help Peter, even though the possible consequences of the spell going wrong are more globally detrimental than Peter’s personal situation.
It’s a complex scenario for strange because he understands his duty is to protect the people of his dimension. But the greater population ofpeople that make up Earth-616are made up of billions of individuals. So, the importance of the individual makes up the importance of the people. In the end, Peter – the individual – sacrifices himself for the good of the people, which is exactly what Strange does as a sorcerer within his own individuality to protect the people.
Doctor Strange and Spider-Man Understand Each Other
In the end ofNo Way Home, Strange and Peter are againequals as they were when fighting Thanosin bothInfinity WarandEndgame. But there is so much that builds to this sense of equality, stemming back to reason they do what they do. Their original circumstances slightly differ, as Strange sought the powers to heal his hands where Peter never asked to be bitten by a radioactive spider.
But for both of them, they recognize that with the great power they wield – as the many Peter’s have heard countless times–there must also come great responsibility. The magnitude of their powers are not necessarily something they want to keep after learning how much responsibility comes with it, but they each recognize that there’s a bigger picture, and they are the ones who must commit to their greater role in society.
Not only that, but by the end ofNo Way Home, they both were forced to let go of their past lives and make the sacrifices necessary for them to carry out their duties as heroes. BothSpider-ManandDoctor Strangerecognize their respective roles in the betterment of the world, and that shows in how they’re able to talk to each other so seamlessly and exhibit empathy towards one another with the utmost sincerity.
